Since 1971, Acadian Companies has provided South Louisiana with medical transport services while staying engaged with the needs of its community and employees.
Acadian Companies has placed itself as a top company with a national and global reach and proudly rooted in South Louisiana. This year, the company is celebrating its 50th anniversary with zero signs of slowing down.
Positioned for Success
It takes more than simple ingenuity to be an entrepreneur with a successful business. Acadian Companies, founded by Richard Zuschlag, began by addressing an increasing need within the community with their ambulatory services in 1971.
The small ambulance company has grown significantly and now has six major divisions: Acadian Ambulance Service, Acadian Air Med, Executive Aircraft Charter Service, Acadian Total Security, National EMS Academy and Safety Management Systems.
Now sitting at a notable milestone of 50 years in business, the company’s accolades include:
- Their president, Richard Zuschlag, being honored with the William A. Oliver Memorial Award from the LA RISE Coalition which is comprised of the top leaders from a number of prominent African American state associations.
- Having their Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Innovation, Asbel Montes, named to the American Ambulance Association board of directors.
- Being selected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to participate in the innovative Emergency Triage, Treat and Transport (ET3) Model.
These are just a sampling of the recent awards that Acadian received since their inception.
Growing with the Times
What sets Acadian Companies apart from other private ambulatory services is the attention to the communities that they serve and the care that they take on calls as they address the needs of their community.
“If somebody needed help, we went right away,” said Zuschlag in an interview with The Next Entrepreneur podcast.
With these qualities, the company has grown while continuing to effectively meet local, national, and ambulatory healthcare needs.
“The ambulance service serves 2/3 of the State of Louisiana,” said Zuschlag. In addition to Louisiana, Acadian Companies also services regions in Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas —more than 70 counties and parishes in total. Acadian Companies employees 660 people in South Louisiana and more than 6,000 in the South creating a significant economic impact for the region.
As a company offering emergency medical services, education, attention to detail, speed, and safety are priorities for Acadian. The company is known for doing things professionally and correctly the first time, which is important when the public’s well-being and health are in your hands. “I’m very serious about making sure that we save lives,” said Zuschlag.
Acadian Companies is also known for the dedication it has to its employees. “I like the team effort,” stated Zuschlag. “I always determined that if I had anything to do with a business, I wanted to make sure that my employees had a good retirement program. I think I surpassed what I thought I could do,” he said during the interview. The employee and community-focused values of Acadian Companies has allowed it to grow into the company it has today.
Businesses Thrive Here
The success of Acadian Companies is representative of the success many businesses have in South Louisiana thanks to the region’s business-friendly climate and employee-first mindset.
It provides a place for ingenuity to thrive in business and promises a flourishing lifestyle with nationally recognized restaurants, deep American history, and a diverse entertainment scene for anyone who calls the area home.